Sen. Lee Commends FCC Announcement on Internet Innovation
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission voted on the Restoring Internet Freedom notice of proposed rulemaking:
“I commend the FCC for taking the first step in returning the Internet to the state of permissionless innovation it thrived under until just two short years ago. Today’s action begins the process of undoing the agency’s 2015 Open Internet Order, which upended the decades-old bipartisan consensus that consumers – not government regulators – should control the information superhighway.”
“But today’s FCC action is only the first step in protecting Internet innovation. A stable regulatory environment can only come from congressional action. This is why I recently introduced the Restoring Internet Freedom Act, which would not only repeal the 2015 Order but also prevent the FCC from further action without congressional mandate.”
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate, House, and FCC, to further promote competition by removing other existing barriers to entry. Only competition – among Internet Service Providers, apps, platforms, content creators, and all other firms across the Internet – can ensure that consumers, not the government, pick winners and losers who provide the best services at the lowest prices.”
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Senators Applaud Pres. Trump’s Executive Order on National Monument Review
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Lee (R-UT) and 25 of his Senate colleagues sent a letter to President Trump supporting his April 26th Executive Order calling for a review of national monuments created under the 1906 Antiquities Act. The letter reads in part:
“Land use decisions are never easy as they directly affect neighborhoods, their citizens’ livelihoods, environments, and the economic future of communities. They can upend local economies or promote significant growth; they can limit recreational access or ensure widespread sustainable enjoyment of the land. These policies can protect the environment, support effective land management, and safeguard native land use. The complexity and lasting effect of these decisions is why they are best made collaboratively, through local consultation. Yet, the Antiquities Act requires no such coordination prior to the creation of a national monument. The broad discretion the Antiquities Act grants presidents has led to its abuse.
“No president has seriously revisited the modern, expansive use of the Antiquities Act. We urge you to keep all remedies on the table as you consider how to correct past abuses of the Antiquities Act and work with Congress to ensure a more measured approach is taken and required in the future.”
The letter was signed by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Luther Strange (R-AL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Barrasso (R-WY), James Risch (R-ID), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Dean Heller (R-NV), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Michael Enzi (R-WY), and James Inhofe (R-OK).
Full text of the letter can be found here.
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